January 2020

Well, that year went fast!  And this month has gone quickly too!

Update on Brian

               First of all, the most important news is that Brian has turned around completely and is on the rebound.  Regrettably, December was a really tough month for him, and he ended up weighing only 148 pounds.  I was starting to consider him for my New Year’s weightlifting program.

               He had an appointment with his oncologist on January 5, and she quickly clarified a misunderstanding he had had on his medication.  Now he is eating anything in sight, and is gaining energy sufficiently enough to start chasing live food.  He has gained 2 pounds this month, and although that doesn’t seem like much, it has made a world of difference to his sense of well-being.

Winter in January

               This year has been unlike those before for us, for we had a number of snowfalls which required Brian to blow the driveway 8 times.  Then we had mild periods where all the snow melted and we had big roof avalanches to get our attention when we weren’t looking.  Lake Osoyoos froze over mid-month but then started opening up by the end of the month.  Describing winter in few words is a challenge.

Critters

               The game camera has been the source of most interest this month.

               We saw small tracks in the snow outside our coffee deck and expected to find pictures of rodents, but not so.  Instead, we were surprised with a short-tailed weasel (an ermine!)  The pictures are fuzzy because those critters move extremely quickly, but you can see the long body and the black-tipped tail.  Pictures I deleted were mostly those of eyeballs in the rock gaps—quite funny.

Life is for the Birds

               The bird feeders continue to provide lots of amusement.  One of the things I do is spread cracked corn on the ground beneath the feeders to attract ground feeders such as the Stellar Jays.  Little did I understand the appeal to the big “birds” as well.  I looked out one morning to find a magnificent stag pawing the snow and eating as much of the corn as he could find.

               One time I focused the camera away from the feeders and got a surprising number of good pictures on a small mound of snow at the base of a tree holding the feeder line.  We achieved some reasonable pictures of a Cassin’s Finch, a Magpie, and Ms. Downy Woodpecker.

Self Improvement

               Brian’s Christmas gift consisted of a 4-day personal workout plan developed by a woman who runs a body-building gym in Edmonton.  He had sat beside her returning from Ontario in October and was very impressed.

               In the meantime, Helen had a personal trainer in Osoyoos develop a fitness regime for her to complement other exercises she does.

               Stay tuned for Mr. and Mrs. Universe as these routines turn us into Iron Seniors!

That’s all, which isn’t much, but things are moving forward well this year, and stay tuned for more excitement in February.